U.S. patent number 9,489,931 [Application Number 14/598,158] was granted by the patent office on 2016-11-08 for musical drum with removable snare assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to REMO, INC.. The grantee listed for this patent is Michael D. McDaniel. Invention is credited to Michael D. McDaniel.
United States Patent |
9,489,931 |
McDaniel |
November 8, 2016 |
Musical drum with removable snare assembly
Abstract
A housing for a musical instrument having a resonant chamber
made from several integrated panel members with at least one snare
assembly inside having individual wires having a first end portion
connected to a first mounting member releasably supported at a
first position and a second end portion connected to a second
mounting member releasably supported at a second position. First
and second mounting members are disposed to vertically stretch the
wires substantially taut in continuous contact relation with the
inside surface of one panel member. First and second wedge-shaped
support members, which are is secured at the first and second
positions, respectively, are spaced apart and have sloping surfaces
disposed towards the inside surface of a panel member, and are
conformed to receive corresponding first and second mounting
members in angular relation.
Inventors: |
McDaniel; Michael D. (Lake
Hughes, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
McDaniel; Michael D. |
Lake Hughes |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
REMO, INC. (Valencia,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
54145649 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/598,158 |
Filed: |
January 15, 2015 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160210942 A1 |
Jul 21, 2016 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G10D
13/02 (20130101); G10D 13/18 (20200201) |
Current International
Class: |
G10D
13/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;84/417 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Qin; Jianchun
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gitlin; Larry F. Beaumont Gitlin
Tashjian
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A musical instrument, comprising: a housing having a resonant
chamber fashioned from a plurality of panel members, each of said
panel members having a corresponding inside surface and outside
surface; at least one snare assembly, said snare assembly having a
plurality of individual wires, not directly connected to any of
said panel members, said individual wires having a first end
portion and a second end portion, and a first mounting member
formed independently of any of said panel members to which said
first end portion is attached and a second mounting member formed
independently of any of said panel members to which said second end
portion is attached, said first mounting member being slidably
engaged at a first position inside said resonant chamber and said
second mounting member being slidably engaged at a second position
inside said resonant chamber, wherein a first generally
wedge-shaped support member is secured at said first position and a
second generally wedge-shaped support member is secured at said
second position, said first and second wedge-shaped support members
being spaced-apart and having sloping surfaces disposed towards
said inside surface of at least one of said panel members, said
sloping surfaces conformed to receive corresponding said first and
second mounting members in angular relation, said first mounting
member and said second mounting member being disposed cooperatively
to vertically stretch said individual wires substantially taut in
continuous contact relation with said inside surface.
2. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said first mounting
member and said second mounting member are generally rectangular in
shape.
3. The musical instrument of claim 2 wherein said first mounting
member and said second mounting member are fabricated of material
from the group comprising wood, wood composite, synthetics and
metal alloy.
4. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said first mounting
member is attached to said first end portion and said second
mounting member is attached to said second end portion using means
from the group comprised of staples, nails and screws.
5. The musical instrument of claim 4 wherein said staples, screws
and nails are situated recessed from said inside surface of said
panel member.
6. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said individual wires
are fabricated of material from the group comprised of wire
strands, animal or synthetic gut line or cord, and solid, twisted
or braided metal cable.
7. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said individual wires
are each coiled.
8. The musical instrument of claim 7 wherein the degree that said
coiled wires impact against said inside surface of said panel
member is directly relative to the tension in said coiled
wires.
9. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said individual wires
are each helically wound.
10. The musical instrument of claim 9 wherein the degree that said
helically wound wires impact against said inside surface of said
panel member is directly relative to the tension in said helically
wound wires.
11. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said panel members
are fabricated of material from the group comprised of wood, wood
composites, fiberglass, synthetics and metal alloy.
12. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein at least one of said
panel members includes a vent opening.
13. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein each said snare
assembly is comprised of three individually coiled wires.
14. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein each said snare
assembly is comprised of three individually helically wound
wires.
15. The musical instrument of claim 1 comprising one or more
hook-and-loop fastener means disposed in contact relation with said
individual wires to modulate the sounds produced by said individual
wires.
16. The musical instrument of claim 15 wherein said hook portion of
said fastener means is attached to said inside surface of said
panel member on either side of said individual wires.
17. The musical instrument of claim 16 wherein said loop portion
and said hook portion of said fastener means are joined to impose a
dampening effect on the sound produced by said individual
wires.
18. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said panel members
are adhesively joined to construct said resonant housing.
19. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said panel members
are joined by glue to construct said resonant housing.
20. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said first and second
mounting members are individually removable from said spaced-apart
generally wedge-shaped support members and retrievable from inside
said resonant chamber through said vent opening.
21. The musical instrument of claim 1 comprising a first snare
assembly and a second snare assembly spaced-apart and secured
inside said resonant chamber.
22. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said plurality of
individual wires are placed in parallel relation.
23. The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said first mounting
member has a front surface and an upper surface and said second
mounting member has a front surface and a lower surface, said
individual wires being attached to said upper surface of said first
mounting member and said lower surface of said second mounting
member.
24. A musical instrument, comprising: a housing having a resonant
chamber fashioned from a plurality of panel members, each of said
panel members having a corresponding inside surface and outside
surface; at least one snare assembly, said snare assembly having a
plurality of individual wires, said individual wires having a first
end portion and a second end portion, and a first mounting member
to which said first end portion is attached and a second mounting
member to which said second end portion is attached, said first
mounting member being releasably supported at a first position
inside said resonant chamber and said second mounting member being
releasably supported at a second position inside said resonant
chamber, wherein a first generally wedge-shaped support member is
secured at said first position and a second generally wedge-shaped
support member is secured at said second position, said first and
second wedge-shaped support members being spaced-apart and having
sloping surfaces disposed towards said inside surface of at least
one of said panel members, said sloping surfaces conformed to
receive corresponding said first and said second mounting members
in angular relation, said first and said second mounting members
being disposed cooperatively to vertically stretch said individual
wires substantially taut in continuous contact relation with said
inside surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of musical
drums and, more particularly, to an improved device that produces
and significantly clearer and more concise snare sound coupled with
a resonant bass tone. The improved device also enables the
convenient and quick removal of a snare assembly from inside the
drum's resonant chamber for repair and replacement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Percussion instruments comprise a wide variety of musical devices
well-known in the prior art, including, but not limited to, drums
having one or more membranes called drumheads stretched over the
end or ends of a hollow cylinder or shell. Sounds are produced by
striking the drumhead with a stick, mallet, brush or even the
player's hand, or any portion thereof. The sound produced by a drum
depends on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the
shape, size and thickness of the shell, materials from which the
shell is fabricated, the material comprising the drumhead and the
tensioning of the drumhead.
A typical percussive grouping used by bands and orchestras of all
types is the common drumset usually comprised of a bass drum, snare
drum, tom-tom and cymbals or any combination of these, most
supported by metal stands. Also included with these drumsets are
pedals to manipulate the cymbals and a mallet or the like for
striking the bass drum. A seat or, in the common parlance of the
field, a throne, is also provided.
One musical drum not typically part of a conventional drumset is an
instrument commonly known as a cajon, which is a box or cuboid
shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru. Because of its
ability to produce a multitude of drum sounds by striking one or
more sides of the instrument and its portability, the cajon has
grown in popularity and can easily, and often does, provide a
viable and more cost effective alternative to the drumset.
A typical cajon has a resonant chamber fashioned from a plurality
of panels with a vent opening or port formed usually in the back
panel for producing bass tones. Within the resonant chamber,
attached as an option to the inside surface of the front-facing
strike plate or secured adjacent to the inside surface, are metal
strings or snares used to produce a snare sound when the front
plate is struck. The cajon panels or walls, because they are
relatively thin, operate as vibrating membranes serving the same
relative function as a conventional drumhead. Striking a cajon
panel or strike plate in different places, e.g. at the corners, the
high or low sections, the central portion, etc., can thus produce a
variety of different and extremely unique and pleasing percussive
sounds.
The top panel of a cajon provides a seat for the player to sit upon
while striking the instrument. To play the cajon, the player may
use his or her hands, fingers, palms, knuckles and fingernails to
produce a multitude of sounds. Mallets, brushes and sticks or any
other suitable resilient or hard object may also be used for this
purpose.
The cajon combines the ability to produce the two most basic
drumset sounds in music (i.e. bass and snare) into one instrument.
Thus, most issues involved in the playing of a cajon, a single
musical instrument, regard chiefly the production of distinct bass
and snare sounds, which typically are within the higher frequency
range for the bass sounds and the lower frequency range for the
snare sounds. These include, among others, the ability to fine tune
the snares for a particular kind of music and to achieve the proper
balance of bass-to-snare ratio. To accomplish this, the trade-offs
are abundant, including the use of expensive snare wires and their
oftentimes complicated assemblies. Expensive snare assemblies
usually require some type of threaded fastener to create tension in
the snare wire with the goal of creating less deflection and
producing a more precise sound needed for fast musical passages or
stylistic changes. The problem most associated with these types of
snare assemblies, aside from the expense, is that the wires
normally do not establish the requisite positive continuous contact
with the top or bottom portions of the chamber wall or, more
specifically, inside surface of the strike plate with which they
must interact. Contact limited only to the mid-section, the upper
or lower half, or only the very top or bottom of the inside wall is
insufficient. Thus, to achieve the desired snare sound where there
is no direct contact between the snare wires and the inside wall
surface, as aforesaid, the player must alter his or her technique
by striking those specific locations with greater force.
Unfortunately, this technique introduces undesirable bass
tones.
Another trade off is having to incorporate tension screws and
similar hardware, which can be complex and otherwise problematic,
and result in diminished and distorted sound quality. Resonating
musical instruments that include a chamber body will simply not
freely resonate and produce the most desirable sounds if assembled
with metal screws or any other items, complicated or not, with a
metallic composition.
An additional trade-off regards the necessity to remove a portion
or even an entire panel from the resonant chamber to access the
interior for removal or replacement of all or any portion of the
snare assembly.
Many of the advances in cajon technology are disclosed in the
following prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,482,522 B2 issued Jan. 27, 2009 to Wening discloses
a cajon incorporating a snare carpet that rests against the inside
surface of the front panel with the snare carpet actuated by a
pedal. Striking the front panel causes the panel to vibrate which,
in turn, causes the snare carpet to produce a characteristic snare
sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,485,790 B2 issued Feb. 3, 2009 to Payerl teaches a
cajon made of wooden plates incorporating an apparatus inside the
resonant chamber consisting of wires mounted recessed along the
chamber's bottom and strung in a predetermined arrangement along
with associated damping elements for producing sound effects when
any of the wooden plates is struck by an object.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,692,083 B2 issued Apr. 6, 2010 to Aspland teaches a
cajon or box drum including a plurality of internal snares which
can be compelled to contact one or more of the interior surfaces of
the striking plates to produce appropriate snare sounds when the
cajon is struck. A bass drum stick or mallet may also be installed
inside the resonant chamber for use by the player in selectively
striking the instrument to produce unique sounds. An external
device, such as a pedal, suitable for operating the bass drum stick
may also be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,816,596 B2 issued Oct. 19, 2010 to Bottger teaches
a cajon with improvements that include, among others, a strike
plate that projects beyond a recess in the housing, a corner
enhancement attached to the strike plate as a freely vibrating
corner, in one example, consisting of a block and at least one
corner structurally separated from the strike plate and attached to
a support rail that can cause the corner to vibrate.
However, nothing in the prior art includes the improvement of the
present invention, which combines a uniquely constructed releasably
retained snare assembly inside the resonant chamber of a musical
instrument, in this example, a cajon, with means disposed
cooperatively to vertically stretch the snare wires substantially
taut in continuous contact relation with the inside surface of the
strike plate to produce a significantly clearer and more concise
snare sound coupled with a desirable resonant bass tone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In its preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a
housing for a musical instrument having a resonant chamber
fashioned from a plurality of panel members with each of the panel
members having a corresponding inside surface and an outside
surface. Also included is at least one snare assembly having a
plurality of individual wires with each grouping of individual
wires having a first end portion and a second end portion. The
first end portion is connected to a first mounting member
releasably supported at a first position inside the resonant
chamber and the second end portion is connected to a second
mounting member releasably supported at a second position inside
the resonant chamber. First and second mounting members are
disposed cooperatively to vertically stretch the individual wires
substantially taut in continuous contact relation with the inside
surface. A first generally wedge-shaped support member is secured
at the first position and a second generally wedge-shaped support
member, which is spaced apart from the first wedge-shaped support
member, is secured at the second position. The first and second
wedge-shaped support members each have sloping surfaces disposed
towards the inside surface of a panel member or strike plate, as it
is also called, and conformed to receive corresponding first and
second mounting members in angular relation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
musical instrument, more particularly a cajon, having a resonant
chamber with at least one snare assembly releasably secured inside
the chamber.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical
instrument, more particularly a cajon, having at least one snare
assembly installed inside the resonant chamber with snare wires
disposed vertically in continuous contact engagement with the
inside surface of the panel member.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
musical instrument, more particularly a cajon, with the means to
produce a significantly clearer and more concise snare sound
coupled with a resonant bass tone.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a musical
instrument, more particularly a cajon, having the means to cause
the snare wires mounted inside the resonant chamber to maintain a
constant and generally equalizing force from top to bottom against
the inside surface of the panel member.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a
musical instrument, more particularly a cajon, with the means to
isolate the snare sound from the bass sound.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
musical instrument, more particularly a cajon, with the means to
enable the fine tuning of the snares to accommodate a particular
style of music.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a musical
instrument, more particularly a cajon, with the means to achieve
the proper balance of bass-to-snare ratio.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
musical instrument, more particularly a cajon, with the means to
modulate the sounds produced by the snares and, thus, reduce both
the amount of deflection, i.e. back-and-forth motion, of the snare
wires and the lingering of any undesirable sounds they may
produce.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a musical
instrument, more particularly a cajon, that is easy to play and
cost effective to manufacture.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
musical instrument, more particularly a cajon, with the means to
expedite the removal of a snare assembly from inside the resonant
chamber for repair or replacement.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a musical
instrument, more particularly a cajon, that is constructed of a
plurality of components that are joined by glue or adhesive.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent in the following specifications when considered in light
of the attached drawings wherein the preferred embodiment of the
invention is illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a snare assembly in accordance
with the present invention.
FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of a section of the snare
assembly in accordance with the present invention shown encircled
by line 1B of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of the inside of the resonant
chamber indicating the placement of the snare assembly in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the resonant
chamber indicating the sequence of movements by the first mounting
member in the process of its installation in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the resonant
chamber indicating the sequence of movements by the second mounting
member in the process of its installation in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the inside of the resonant
chamber indicating the placement of the front panel (or strike
plate) in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first mounting members,
respectively, for the two snare assemblies shown installed inside
the top section of the resonant chamber in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second mounting members,
respectively, for the two snare assemblies shown installed inside
the bottom section of the resonant chamber in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the resonant chamber with one
snare assembly shown installed inside in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 6B is an enlarged perspective view of a cross-section of the
snare assembly in accordance with the present invention shown
encircled by line 6B of FIG. 6A.
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the interior of the resonant
chamber shown with the means to control snare deflection in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the interior of the resonant
chamber shown with the means to control snare deflection in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the resonant chamber,
including one snare assembly shown installed inside with the means
to control snare deflection, in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 9B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of a
snare assembly as shown encircled by line 9B of FIG. 9A in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the resonant
chamber indicating the sequence of movements by a snare assembly in
the process of its removal in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the resonant
chamber indicating the movement of a snare assembly in the process
of its removal through the rear vent opening in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of cajon in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of a cajon shown with a vent
opening formed in the back panel in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a cajon with a player hitting the
strike plate in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides a musical instrument, preferably
cajon 10, comprised of housing 12 having resonant chamber 14
constructed from a plurality of panel members 16a-16f with each of
the aforesaid panel members having an outside surface 18a-18f and
inside surface 22a-22f, respectively, and secured by strong glue 15
or adhesive, or any other suitable non-metallic attachment means.
Panel member 16a, usually the front panel of cajon 10, serves as
strike plate 20 for producing the musical sounds. Also provided is
at least one snare assembly 30 having a plurality of individual
wires 32, typically a group of three, with each wire 32 including
first end portion 34 and second end portion 36. Included as well
are first mounting member 38 with front surface 38a and upper
surface 38b to which first end portion 34 of each wire 32 is
attached and second mounting member 40 with front surface 40a and
lower surface 40b to which second end portion 36 of each wire 32 is
attached. Each wire 32 may also be attached to certain other areas
of first mounting member 38 and second mounting member 40, as may
be appropriate. However, the attachment means for wires 32 should
not be permitted to make direct contact with any of inside surfaces
22a-22f in order to avoid undesirable distortion in the snare
sounds when cajon 10 is played. Staples 42 are the preferred
attachment means, though screws and nails (not shown) may be
suitable for this purpose under the appropriate circumstances.
Mounting members 38 and 40 are generally rectangular in shape,
though any appropriate configuration may be suitable.
First mounting member 38 is releasably supported inside resonant
chamber 14 at or adjacent to first position 50 and second mounting
member 40 is releasably supported inside resonant chamber 14 at or
adjacent to second position 52. First mounting member 38 and second
mounting member 40, when releasably supported inside resonant
chamber 14, as described, act cooperatively to vertically stretch
and maintain individual wires 32 in a substantially taut and
continuous contact relationship with inside surface 22a of panel
member 16a.
Panel members 16a-16f and first and second mounting members 38 and
40, respectively, may be fabricated of material from the group
comprised of wood, wood composite, synthetics and metal alloy.
Wires 32 may be fabricated of material from the group comprised of
wire strands, animal or synthetic gut line or cord, and solid,
twisted or braided metal cable. However, the preferred embodiment
of the present invention includes wire 32, either coiled or
helically wound, as shown in detail in FIG. 1B.
Inside resonant chamber 14 are first generally wedge-shaped support
member 56, which is secured nearby or adjacent to first position
50, and second generally wedge-shaped support member 58, which is
secured nearby or adjacent to second position 52. First generally
wedge-shaped support member 56 and second generally wedge-shaped
support member 58 are spaced-apart and have sloping surfaces
disposed in the direction of inside surface 22a of panel member 16a
and are conformed to receive corresponding first mounting member 38
and second mounting member 40 in angular relation, as described
below.
In its preferred configuration, first generally wedge-shaped
support member 56 is comprised of first guide member 80 with
upwardly facing sloped surface 82 and a second guide member 84 with
upwardly facing sloped surface 86. First guide member 80 is secured
inside resonant chamber 14, preferably by attachment to inside
surface 22b of side panel 16b, using a strong glue 15 or adhesive
or any other suitable attachment means for this purpose, while
second guide member 84 is integrated into centrally-positioned
first guide support member 92, which is also secured inside
resonant chamber 14, preferably by attachment to inside surface 22e
of top panel member 16e in the same manner. Similarly, second
generally wedge-shaped support member 58 is comprised of first
guide member 100 with downwardly facing sloped surface 102, which
is secured inside resonant chamber 14, preferably by attachment to
inside surface 22b of side panel member 16b, using strong glue 15
or adhesive, or any other suitable attachment means for this
purpose, and second guide member 104 with downwardly facing sloped
surface 105 is integrated into centrally-positioned second guide
support member 106, which is likewise secured inside resonant
chamber 14, again preferably by attachment to inside surface 22f of
bottom panel 16f in the same manner.
Third generally wedge-shaped support member 120 is comprised of
first guide member 81 with upwardly facing sloped surface 83 and
second guide member 85 with upwardly facing sloped surface 87
integrated into centrally-positioned third guide support member 92.
First guide member 81 is secure inside resonant chamber 14,
preferably by attachment to inside surface 22c of panel member 16c
and third guide support member 92 is also secured inside resonant
chamber 14, again preferably by attachment to inside surface 22e of
panel member 16e, using a strong glue 15 or adhesive, or any other
suitable attachment means for this purpose. Fourth generally
wedge-shaped support member 122 is comprised of first guide member
101 with downwardly facing sloped surface 103 and second guide
member 107 integrated into centrally-positioned fourth guide
support member 106. First guide member 101 is secured inside
chamber 14, preferably by attachment to inside surface 22c of panel
member 16c, and fourth guide support member 106 are similarly
secured to positions inside resonant chamber 14 in the same manner
as their counterparts, as described.
Snare assembly 31, which is normally identical to snare assembly
30, though more specifically first mounting member 130 and second
mounting member 132, engages the components of spaced-apart third
generally wedge-shaped support member 120 and fourth generally
wedge-shaped support member 122, respectively, in the same manner
as their counterparts alongside to achieve the same purpose.
Formed within rear panel member 16d is vent opening 72 to enable
the production of bass sounds when strike plate 20 is struck by any
hard object, such as mallet 74, or a stick (not shown) or hand 75
of player 76. Vent opening 72 also provides easy and convenient
access to resonant chamber 14 for identifying and then removing or
replacing any snare assembly constructed in accordance with the
present invention that is in need of repair or replacement.
In practice, snare assembly 30 is installed inside resonant chamber
14 by the concurrent placement of first mounting member 38 upon
sloped surface 82 of first guide member 80 and sloped surface 86 of
second guide member 84. Coiled wires 32, which are initially
compressed, are stretched appropriately and pulled downward to
enable second mounting member 40 to be similarly placed upon second
generally wedge-shaped support member 58, specifically upon sloped
surface 102 of first guide member 100 and sloped surface 105 of
second guide member 104. With coiled wires 32 under sufficient
tension once snare assembly 30 is fully mounted, first support
member 38 and second support member 40 are moved forward, as
necessary, against inside surface 22a with sufficient pressure to
ensure that coiled wires 32 maintain uniform positive contact
against inside surface 22a generally from top to bottom.
Sounds emanating from wires 32 may be controlled or modified to
produce the higher frequency snare sounds or lower frequency bass
sounds, or a combination of the two, as desired, by essentially
overlaying the back portions of wires 32 with a plurality of
fasteners 139 consisting of hook 140 and loop 142 components, which
are more commonly known by the trademark VELCRO.RTM.. More
specifically, hook 140 may be attached to inside surface 22a to
either side of wires 32 to ensure that wires 32 maintain throughout
their contact with inside surface 22a, while loop 142 actually
overlays the back of wires 32. Hook 140 and loop 142 are then
brought together and secured as fastener 139 to modulate or even
minimize the degree of deflection, both physical in terms of the
vacillating back-and-forth motion of wires 32 upon the striking of
strike plate 20, and sound, which sometimes tends to linger if not
dampened sufficiently (FIGS. 7-9B). One or more fasteners 139 may
be utilized with any single snare assembly depending upon the
degree of the dampening effect, modulation, the targeted area for
the modulation, or higher or lower frequencies desired. For
example, if the intent is to modulate the snare sounds originating
from the upper and lower regions of resonant chamber 14, then
fasteners 139 may be caused to overlay snare wires 32 only at those
positions, leaving the mid-section of wires 32 unfettered.
The removal of snare assemblies 30 and 31 may be achieved in one
manner by simply reaching hand 75 inside resonant chamber 14
through vent opening 72 and lifting upon first mounting member 38
and pulling it backwards. This eases the tension in wires 32 and
allows second mounting member 40 to drop down and disengage. This
sequence may also be reversed as an alternative means to achieve
the same objective. Mounting members 38 and 40 may then be pulled
out from inside resonant chamber 14 out through opening 72.
In another embodiment of the present invention, first and second
mounting member 38 and 40 may be positioned upon support members
(not shown) configured differently than the wedge-shaped support
members already described, for example, square or rectangular
shaped, with surfaces generally level, not sloped.
While the invention will be described in connection with a certain
preferred embodiment, it is understood that it is not intended to
limit the invention to that embodiment. Rather, it is intended to
cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims.
* * * * *